To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

158 The North Carolina Historical Commission
morning, and his pallid corpse, with canteens still strap-ped
around the waist, is now lying in the slimy water of
the beach near the sinks, tossing and moving as if yet
controlled by the brave spirit which dared the triple risk
of double guard-lines, the canal and the river—only to
succumb miserably at last. Sad ending to so bold a
stroke for freedom ! And yet so young a life ! for the face
is that of a fresh young soldier; perchance one whose
youthful hopes and dreams of "The Girl I Left Behind
Me" in some far Southern village, incited him to join
the others, and brave the miles of dark swollen waters
!
Bah! he is "out." And like Sterne's poor starling that
is the end of all our dreams. We '
' want to get out. '
'
August 4th:—Among the officials who give us the
most annoyance is an ugly, greasy, repulsive looking
fellow named "Adam," or "Fox," who acts as Sergeant
of the Police Squad (Rebels who are willing to do all
manner of hard and disgusting work simply to obtain
an extra ration of the miserable stuff issued to us) ; and
we suspect purposely kept in the "Pen" the greater part
of the day as a spy upon us.
"Fox" is a Dutchman from Vermont, who, on the
morning of the battle of Bull Run deserted and ran two
or three hundred miles before he felt safe from the ter-rible
Rebels.
Captured and sentenced to a long term of imprison-ment
on the island, he was promptly selected as the very
man to put over the Rebel prisoners, that he might
badger them in proportion as they had frightened him.
And gradually Fox proved himself possessed of the foxy
craft and cunning fitting him for the largest liberty of
conduct towards the prisoners, to whom he is now as dic-tatorial
as the Autocrat of all the Russians.
August 7th:—Again a midnight alarm, firing, running,
vociferations ! No knowledge of the cause until this even-ing
when a note from the other pen brings intelligence
that half a dozen desperate men tried to escape, but were
shot down; one mortally wounded, another losing an
arm, the rest seriously hurt. Reports, also, state that the

158 The North Carolina Historical Commission
morning, and his pallid corpse, with canteens still strap-ped
around the waist, is now lying in the slimy water of
the beach near the sinks, tossing and moving as if yet
controlled by the brave spirit which dared the triple risk
of double guard-lines, the canal and the river—only to
succumb miserably at last. Sad ending to so bold a
stroke for freedom ! And yet so young a life ! for the face
is that of a fresh young soldier; perchance one whose
youthful hopes and dreams of "The Girl I Left Behind
Me" in some far Southern village, incited him to join
the others, and brave the miles of dark swollen waters
!
Bah! he is "out." And like Sterne's poor starling that
is the end of all our dreams. We '
' want to get out. '
'
August 4th:—Among the officials who give us the
most annoyance is an ugly, greasy, repulsive looking
fellow named "Adam," or "Fox," who acts as Sergeant
of the Police Squad (Rebels who are willing to do all
manner of hard and disgusting work simply to obtain
an extra ration of the miserable stuff issued to us) ; and
we suspect purposely kept in the "Pen" the greater part
of the day as a spy upon us.
"Fox" is a Dutchman from Vermont, who, on the
morning of the battle of Bull Run deserted and ran two
or three hundred miles before he felt safe from the ter-rible
Rebels.
Captured and sentenced to a long term of imprison-ment
on the island, he was promptly selected as the very
man to put over the Rebel prisoners, that he might
badger them in proportion as they had frightened him.
And gradually Fox proved himself possessed of the foxy
craft and cunning fitting him for the largest liberty of
conduct towards the prisoners, to whom he is now as dic-tatorial
as the Autocrat of all the Russians.
August 7th:—Again a midnight alarm, firing, running,
vociferations ! No knowledge of the cause until this even-ing
when a note from the other pen brings intelligence
that half a dozen desperate men tried to escape, but were
shot down; one mortally wounded, another losing an
arm, the rest seriously hurt. Reports, also, state that the